Tottenham Hotspur may have started an experienced XI to start Thursday’s Europa League match against Swedish side Elfsborg, but it was Tottenham’s academy graduates and young players who stole the spotlight. Spurs left the goals until late, but they all came from players 20 years or younger, and all Tottenham academy graduates. 20-year-old Dane Scarlett broke the scoreless draw with an impressive diving header, 19-year-old midfielder Damola Ajayi had a lovely inward-cutting run and shot (with an assist from Dane) that just squeaked into the net at the near post, and Moore put a bow on an impressive European performance with a low shot into the net with the last kick of the game.
The win ensured Spurs finished in the top eight of the Europa League and guaranteed a bye to the Round of 16, bypassing the playoffs. It also injected a healthy dose of good vibes into the fanbase, something sorely needed.
Here are three things we learned from Thursday’s win. There are more than that, but let’s just stick to three for now.
The kids are all right
Elfsborg are not a good team, and it’s not hard to pick out any number of good performances from this match. Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski immediately spring to mind — Sonny had ten successful take-ons to go along with three shots in just 45 minutes of play, while Deki was impactful and creative, especially when he moved to the center in the last half-hour of the match. Spurs absolutely dominated this game, with 82% possession and a shot advantage of 24-4. That said, the team of first team veterans couldn’t manage to get past a resolute and thoroughly bunkered Elf Borg defense.
Instead, it was Tottenham’s youngsters who shone in this match. Mikey Moore looked like Tottenham’s best player in the first half. Lucas Bergvall showed a little inconsistency with his passing and tackling, but was both progressive and aggressive and came close to a goal himself with a thumping header at goal. And Tottenham’s three goal scorers — Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi, and Moore — all were club debut goals, and all three were crackers. Moore, in fact, became the youngest English player since the late, great Jimmy Greaves to score a goal in a major European tournament.
Ange Postecoglou has come under a bit of pressure for how he uses — or doesn’t use — his young academy grads, even when the club has 11-12 players out injured. But the flip side is that without all these injuries, it’s unlikely Bergvall and Moore get as many minutes against top competition as they have this season, and even less likely that Scarlett and Ajayi get on the pitch at all. All of them played well and took their chances, and it ended up being a glory, glory night for Spurs’ young stars-in-waiting.
Micky’s return was immense but Dragusin’s injury still leaves Spurs short-handed
One in, one out. That seems to be the pattern right now with defensive injuries. Micky van de Ven made his long-awaited return to the side after a couple of months out with a hamstring injury, and he started at his usual LCB alongside Archie Gray. It was clear immediately how much we have missed him — Micky’s comfort with the ball meant that Spurs were able to start attacks from the back much quicker than in recent matches. Meanwhile Elfsborg barely mounted an offensive threat so we didn’t get to see his recovery pace, which as far as I’m concerned is just fine, since this was basically his first shakedown cruise. Seeing Micky out there just felt natural, and I feel a lot better about this weekend’s match with the prospects of him back in the side.
Radu Dragusin was Van de Ven’s replacement at halftime, and likewise it was clear how steep the drop off is between Radu and Micky. Dragusin looked clumsy for most of his short shift before apparently injuring his knee while whiffing on a clearance. I don’t want to rag on Radu too much — he might be out for a number of weeks now, which puts Spurs right back in the tenuous defensive position they were before this match. Cuti Romero may not be back yet this weekend, so it’s likely we’ll see Micky and Ben Davies out there vs. Brentford on Sunday, with Archie Gray behind them. Someday we’ll have a first choice back line out there. Someday.
Top 8 is good, but Spurs could face a tricky playoff
But Spurs could potentially have a tricky run to the Europa League final. The playoff draw was completed shortly after Thursday’s matches, and Spurs will end up playing one of Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, or Midtjylland.
Have a squint at the table below. It’s a little confusing — it looks like we’re teaming up with Manchester United to play two teams — but in reality there will be a separate draw after the playoffs to determine which bracket Spurs and United end up in and who they will face.
Tottenham have already lost to Galatasaray in Europa League play in Turkey and they inexplicably have Victor Osimhen there on loan. PSV, of course, is the #narrative club with Spurs Academy grad Troy Parrott tearing it up there with 12 goals and 2 assists in all competitions.
If Spurs can avoid the winner of Galatasaray — Sociedad and get past either PSV or Midtjylland, they could end up playing either Eintracht Frankfurt or Lyon for a trip to the semifinals. Frankfurt in particular are a scary matchup — they’re currently third in the Bundesliga and are pushing for Champions League this season, though they notably lost leading scorer Omar Marmoush to Manchester City this month.